Greetings to Folks around the world from Northern Nevada!

Up until about three days ago I have enjoyed watching a woodpecker in an old pine tree out back of my place. It was very relaxing to sit on the porch and listen to his drumming and watch his antics. When he was not drumming he would peck around looking for insects in the trunk of the tree. I miss the little guy! From my viewpoint and distance, it was difficult to see what type of woodpecker he was. He was about the size of a blue jay and had all dark feathers. I could not tell if he had any coloring on his cheeks or if he had a top knot, but, I think it might have been a Black-Backed. Almost every summer, my mother has had a Downy woodpecker around her yard and they are so cute with their bright red top knots!

With Halloween getting closer, the kids around the neighborhood are getting more excited. My grandson just spent $12.00 or so on a mask and hasn't even gotten the rest of the costume yet! Seems to me the Halloween costume business is really making a lot of money. The costume my daughter wants for her employee party costs $125.00. Now, I don't know about you, but that is just a bit much for a one-nighter that will probably get thrown out in the garage and finally lost somewhere. I still wear my sheet that I had when I was just knee-high to a grasshopper - that sheet is over 60 years old now, but just as white as ever (except around the bottom where it drags on the ground)! I wash it every year, fold it up nice and flat, wrap it in tissue and put it in a shirt box for storage with my name on it - course it is getting kind of thin, but it has saved me a lot of money over the years!
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Some Washoe Valley events this weekend are:

Pleasant Valley Volunteer Fire Department annual "Safe Halloween and Haunted Firehouse", Friday 10/24 at 5:00 PM and Saturday 10/25 at 9:00 PM. Call 775-849-4921 for more information.

Kit Carson Trail Ghost Walk. Saturday 10/25 from 9AM - 3PM. This is a guided tour of the historic district, with spirits of the past appearing. Call 775-687-7410 for more information.

Grimes Castle Haunted House, Saturday, 10/25 from 7 - 10 PM. Not recommended for the weak or meek. Call 775-220-5031 for more information visit www.grimescastle.com
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Around the Country:

Going to be in Kentucky anytime soon?

October 1-31, 2008
Annual Bi-Water Farm & Greenhouse "Autumn Fest" (weekends) A fall farm family event with pumpkins, fresh produce, and hayrides. Family activities: 5 acre corn maze, Spooky Farmhouse, Bunnyville, Lost Pumpkin Mine, and Pirates Cove. 877 Cincinnati Pike, US-25 North. Open March-October. Sat. 9 a.m.-6 p.m.;

Sun. noon-6 p.m. For information, 502-863-3676 or e-mail biwaterfarm@bellsouth.net

Check out the following link for more Georgetown fun this month!

http://www.georgetownky.com/2008october.html
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For a safe and fun Halloween for your little ones, consider having a good old-fashioned Halloween Party right in your own home! Decorate your house to the rafters with spooks and goblins. Dress up in a witch costume. Have the kids come in costumes, have the parents, in costume, each holding a basket of treats for the trick-or-treating, have a tub of water to bob for apples, make cookies and hot chocolate or some really spooky treats like squiggly worm mud cups! Don't know how to do that? Here is the recipe:

Squiggly Worm Mud Cups

Supplies needed:

- Non-stick muffin tins

- Refrigerated chocolate cookie dough (you know, the kind that is already made and you just pull off the little squares)

- Instant Chocolate pudding mix (follow instructions and make ahead and chill)

- Gummy worms

Put one square of cookie dough in each muffin cup. Press the dough down and around to form a cup. Bake till still soft, but done. While still hot, press the dough down in the center with the bottom of a glass. When cookies are cool, fill with pudding. Put two or three gummy worms in each mud cup. Let the kids get in line first for these treats because the parents will love to gobble them up, too!

When the kids are all "spooked out" the parents can sit back and enjoy a nice hot cup of spiced cider! Have fun!!!
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Till next time: May your home be filled with laughter and may it ring from floor to rafter.

Walk in Harmony and Beauty.
Phyllis
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Here's the latest article from the Folklore site at BellaOnline.com.

Spirits Of Virginia City
Tales of the spirits that haunt the Comstock Lode areas in and around Virginia City, Nevada.

http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art16406.asp

Please visit folklore.bellaonline.com for even more great content about Folklore.

To participate in free, fun online discussions, this site has a community forum all about Folklore located here -

http://forums.bellaonline.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=postlist&Board=131

I hope to hear from you sometime soon, either in the forum or in response to this email message. I thrive on your feedback!

Have fun passing this message along to family and friends, because we all love free knowledge!

Phyllis Doyle Burns, Folklore Editor
http://folklore.bellaonline.com

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